Slide extension assembly

ABSTRACT

An improved coin slide extension assembly for a coin operated apparatus. A vertical actuator mounted on the coin slide includes an extension portion which rides in a corner of the coin slide housing. This maintains vertical and horizontal alignment of the slide to insure engagement of the actuator with the apparatus starting mechanism to start the apparatus upon movement of the coin slide.

Elite Sates atent [191 Greenwald et al.

l l Mar. 25, 1975 SLIDE EXTENSION ASSEMBLY Inventors: Harry Greenwald, Whitestone;

Salvatore Iglio, Richmond Hills, both of NY.

Walter, Kidde & Company, Inc., Clifton, NJ.

Filed: Jan. 30, 1974 Appl. No.: 437,823

Assignee:

U.S. Cl. 194/1 R, 194/92, 308/3 R Int. Cl. G07f 9/00 Field of Search 194/1 R, l A, l E, 92,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1919 Otte 308/3.6

2,844,430 7/1958 Bogar 308/36 3,295,650 1/1967 Hall 194/1 E 3,498,685 3/1970 Poplinski 308/3 R Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-H. Grant Skaggs, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Ryder, McAulay, Fields, Fisher & Goldstein [57] ABSTRACT An improved coin slide extension assembly for a coin operated apparatus. A vertical actuator mounted on the coin slide includes an extension portion which rides in a corner of the coin slide housing. This maintains vertical and horizontal alignment 0? the slide to insure engagement of the actuator with the apparatus starting mechanism to start the apparatus upon movement of the coin slide.

9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures SLIDE EXTENSION ASSEMBLY FIELD OF THE INVENTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Coin controlled units are usually installed on commercial appliances such as clothes washers, dryers, vending machines and the like. The coin control is enclosed within a housing mounted on the appliance or machine and the housing is usually provided with a locked coin drawer which prevents unauthorized access to a coin receptacle located in spaced relation to the coin control. The coin control includes a coin slide reciprocally mounted on a guide track for projected and retracted movement. The coin slide has a coin receiving portion. When a proper coin is inserted in the coin slide, it may be pushed inwardly whereupon the coin is transmitted to the coin receptacle. The inner end of the coin slide has mounted on it a vertical actuator for engagement with a starting mechanism to start the apparatus upon movement of the coin slide.

The mechanism for starting the coin operated apparatus is within the coin control housing and typically lies below the plane of the inward extension of the coin slide. A vertical actuator is mounted on the end of the slide, projects downwardly and is adapted to engage the starting mechanism. When a proper coin is inserted in the coin slide and it is pushed forward into the coin control housing, the actuator contacts a portion of the starting mechanism such as an upwardly projecting member. The engagement of the actuator with that upwardly projecting member of the starting mechanism moves that member and by conventional means operation of the apparatus is started. Such actuator means and starting mechanisms are shown in Us Pat. Nos. 2,947,186 and 3,052,327.

In a coin control unit which has such a vertical actuator mounted on the end of the coin slide there arises the problem of alignment of the slide so that the actuator, when the slide is inwardly advanced, invariably engages the starting mechanism. The slide which is guided by the guide track attached to the housing of the coin unit may become misaligned from use or from excessive force exerted on the slide. For example, if the slide at its end outside the housing is bent downwardly, this may cause the actuator mounted on the end of the slide to be misaligned in an upward direction so that it overrides and does not engage the upwardly projecting member of the starting mechanism. In addition, through use or damage, the slide may be misaligned in a horizontal direction transverse to the axis of the slide and again the actuator may thereby not engage the starting mechanism upon movement of the coin slide.

The present invention provides a simple and inexpensive means for maintaining vertical and limited horizontal alignment of the coin slide so as to insure that the actuator engages with the starting mechanism upon movement of the coin slide.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides an improved coin slide extension assembly for a coin operated apparatus which includes a housing having an upper wall and a side wall. A coin slide is reciprocably mounted in a guide track mounted on the housing for projected and retracted movement of the slide within the housing. A starting mechanism is supported within the housing and is located below the inward extension of the plane of the slide. A bracket is mounted on the end of the coin slide and vertical actuator means are connected to it and extend downwardly normal to the plane of the slide. When a proper coin is inserted in the coin slide, the slide may be projected inwardly into the housing so that the actuator means engage the starting mechanism. The actuator has an extension portion extending upwardly above the slide and normal to the plane of it. Such portion is bent to engage the corner of the housing formed by the upper wall and side wall of it. The end of said extension portion rides in the corner of the housing to prevent substantial vertical movement of the.

actuator relative to the starting mechanism or substantial transverse horizontal movement of the actuator in the direction of said side wall upon movement of the coin slide into the apparatus.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive means for aligning the coin slide and the actuator mounted on it so that the actuator is certain to engage the starting mechanism when the slide is projected inwardly into the hous- Another object and feature of this invention is the provision of an improved slide extension assembly which prevents substantial verticalor transverse horizontal movement of the actuator relative to the starting mechanism of the coin operated apparatus upon projected and retracted movement of the coin slide.

The fulfillment of those objects and the features and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from consideration of the following detailed description when taken into conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings FIG. 1 is a side view ofthe coin operated apparatus, partly-in section and with parts broken away, showing the improved alignment apparatus of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the improved. alignment apparatus of this invention taken along line 2.2 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the improved alignment apparatus of this invention taken along; line 3-3 of FIG. I; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the improved alignment apparatus of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The improvement of this invention may be used in any coin operated apparatus, including a coin operated clothes washer or dryer, vending machine or record player or similar coin operated apparatus.

In FIG. 1 a coin control unit 10 is schematically depicted. This unit typically is mounted on the top of an apparatus such as a clothes washer, with which it is interconnected, When the coin control unit is activated by movement of the coin slide, operation of the apparatus is started. The coin control unit includes a housing 11, a coin slide 12 and a guide track 14 for the coin slide 12. The guide track 14 is mounted on housing 11 and the slide 12 is reciprocally mounted in the guide track 14 for projected and retracted movement. As will become hereinafter apparent, the structure is such that slide 12 is disposed for movement inwardly into the housing to engage the starting mechanism of the apparatus, and is thereafter retracted to start the operation of the apparatus. The housing may be a separate housing for the coin control unit, as depicted in the draw ings, in which case it is mounted on the apparatus such as a clothes washer. Alternatively, the housing for the apparatus may also serve as the housing for the coin unit, including the coin slide assembly, in which case the coin slide assembly is supported within the housing of the apparatus itself.

Mounted on the end of coin slide 12 is an L-shaped bracket 16. The bracket 16 may be attached to the coin slide 12 by means such as bolts and nuts 21, 22, 23 and 24 which are inserted through holes 19 and in bracket 16 and corresponding holes in slide 12 (not shown). The L-shaped bracket 16 has a stiffening rib 17 and a vertical leg 18. The bracket 16 is formed in the L-shape shown in FIG. 4 (with vertical leg 18) as this gives a greater amount of rigidity to that extension of the slide, and leg 18 provides a convenient means for mounting the actuator to that bracket 16.

The actuator 30 comprises an upper portion which is bent and designated 32 in the FIGS., and a lower portion 34. The actuator 30 is secured to bracket 16 by means such as screw 36 and nut 37 or the like. Cap members 33 and (which are secured to it by any conventional means) enclose the ends of the actuator 30. These end caps 33 and 35 may be made of any resilient material and preferably are made of nylon. These end caps prevent wear to surfaces engaged by the ends of the actuator 30.

Actuator 30 has a portion 38 which is pressed out of it to form projecting tab 39. This tab 39 extends through hole 40 in leg 18 of bracket 16 and prevents rotation of actuator 30 relative to the bracket.

In FIG. 1 the portion of the apparatus designated as is the schematic representation of a mechanism for starting the operation of the coin operated apparatus 10. The mechanism generally includes a timer (not shown) having a timer control shaft 52 and an upwardly projecting member 54 mounted to said shaft. A coil spring (not shown) biases member 54 clockwise to the position shown in FIG. 1. The structure permits counterclockwise rotation of member 54 relative to shaft 52, against the action of the spring, upon projected or inward movement of the coin slide. However, after member 54 returns to the position shown in FIG. 1 under influence of the spring, retraction of the coin slide serves to rotate member 54 clockwise, which in turn, rotates the timer shaft to initiate the timer starting mechanism. The timer and starting mechanism are conventional in structure and aside from their operative contact with the coin slide, they form no part of the specific invention herein.

In operation, a coin is inserted into the coin slide 12 and slide 12 is manually pushed forward to the left. When a proper coin is inserted in the coin slide 12'the apparatus is keyed so that coin slide 12 may continue its forward movement. If there is not an appropriate coin inserted in slide 12 then there is a means for preventing the forward movement of slide-12. When a proper coin is inserted into slide 12, and it is advanced, the slide 12 moves towards the limit of its possible extension and bottom portion 34 of actuator 30 engages member 54 of starting mechanism 50. As the slide 12 moves further to the left, actuator 30 rotates member 54 counterclockwise against the action of its associated spring. Slide 12 may thus be considered as passing over member 54 when the slide is in its fully projected position. This assures that the starting mechanism will not be activated until after the coin is transmitted to the coin receptacle.

When slide 12 is inits fully projected position, member 54 returns to its initial position, as shown in FIG. 1, under influence of its associated spring. Thereafter, as slide 12 is retracted to its original position, the bottom portion 34 of actuator 30 again engages member 54 and rotates it clockwise approximately 30. Such rotation also serves to rotate control shaft 52 which initiates operation of the starting mechanism. The timer serves to rotate its shaft 52 clockwise through the operating cycle to return member 54 to its initial position in alignment with actuator 30.

The improvement of this invention is particularly shown in FIG. 2 where the upper portion 32 of the actuator 30 is in a guiding mode with the upper left-hand corner of the housing 11 of the coin control unit 10. That upper portion of the actuator need not be guided by the corner of housing 11 but by any other comparable means provided within the interior of the unit 10. For example, the actuator 30 may not be bent as shown in FIG. 2, but may be extended vertically and received in a slot on the interior of the upper portion of housing 11. In addition, other bracket means may be provided to engage an extension of actuator 30 so that the actuator 39 does not move substantially upward or horizontally.

As may be seen from the foregoing description the improvement of this invention provides a simple, inexpensive means for insuring that the vertical actuator attached to the end of the extension of the coin slide does not move upwardly or horizontally (transverse to the movement of the slide) and invariably engages the mechanism for starting the operation of the apparatus upon projected and retracted movement of the coin slide. It will be appreciated that the transverse horizontal movement of the slide is restricted in one direction by means of the side wall of the housing, whereas any movement inthe opposite direction must overcome the added frictional resistance due to the sliding engagement of cap member 33 with the .upper wall of the housing.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail, it will be readily understood and appreciated that numerous omissions, changes and additions may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

We claim:

1. In combination with a coin operated apparatus having a housing, a coin slide reciprocably mounted in a guide track for projected and retracted movement within said housing, a starting mechanism, and a vertical actuator means mounted on the coin slide and ex? tending in one direction normal to the plane of said slide, wherein the presence of a coin in the coin slide is operative to permit movement of the coin slide and engagement of the actuator means with the starting mechanism; wherein the improvement comprises: said actuator means having a portion extending in the other direction normal to the plane of said slide, said portion being bent to engage a corner of the housing for preventing substantial vertical movement of the actuator relative to the starting mechanism upon movement of the coin slide.

2. The improvement as recited in claim 1 wherein said housing has an upper wall and a side wall; said extension portion engaging the corner of said housing formed by said upper and side walls whereby the end of said extension portion rides in said corner for preventing substantial transverse horizontal movement of the actuator in the direction of said side wall upon movement of said coin slide.

3. The improvement as recited in claim 2, further comprising a bracket mounted on the end of the coin slide, said actuator being attached to said bracket.

4. The improvement as recited in claim 3, further comprising interengaging means on said bracket and actuator to prevent rotation of said actuator relative to said bracket.

5. An improved coin slide extension assembly for a coin operated apparatus comprising:

a. a housing having an upper wall and a sidewall;

b. a coin slide reciprocably mounted on said housing for projected and retracted movement therein;

c. a starting mechanism supported within said housing and located below the plane of said slide upon movement thereof;

d. a bracket mounted on the end of the coin slide;

e. vertical actuator means connected to the bracket and extending downwardly normal to the plane of said slide, wherein the presence of a coin in the coin slide is operative to permit movement of the slide and engagement of the actuator means with the starting mechanism; and

f. an extension portion on said actuator extending upwardly above said slide and normal to the said plane thereof, said portion being bent to engage the corner of said housing formed by said upper and side walls; whereby the end of said extension portion rides in said corner to prevent substantial vertical movement of the actuator relative to the starting mechanism and substantial transverse horizontal movement of the actuator in the direction of said side wall upon movement of the coin slide.

6. The improved coin slide extension assembly as recited in claim 5, wherein said bracket is L-shaped having a vertical leg portion, said actuator being attached to the vertical leg of said bracket.

7. The improved coin slide extension assembly as recited in claim 6, further comprising interengaging means on the vertical leg portion. of said bracket and said actuator to prevent rotation of said actuator relative to said bracket.

8. The improved coin slide extension assembly as recited in claim 7, further comprising resilient means attached to the ends of said actuator.

9. The improved coin slide extension assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein said resilient means is formed ofnylon. 

1. In combination with a coin operated apparatus having a housing, a coin slide reciprocably mounted in a guide track for projected and retracted movement within said housing, a starting mechanism, and a vertical actuator means mounted on the coin slide and extending in one direction normal to the plane of said slide, wherein the presence of a coin in the coin slide is operative to permit movement of the coin slide and engagement of the actuator means with the starting mechanism; wherein the improvement comprises: said actuator means having a portion extending in the other direction normal to the plane of said slide, said portion being bent to engage a corner of the housing for preventing substantial vertical movement of the actuator relative to the starting mechanism upon movement of the coin slide.
 2. The improvement as recited in claim 1 wherein said housing has an upper wall and a side wall; said extension portion engaging the corner of said housing formed by said upper and side walls whereby the end of said extension portion rides in said corner for preventing substantial transverse horizontal movement of the actuator in the direction of said side wall upon movement of said coin slide.
 3. The improvement as recited in claim 2, further comprising a bracket mounted on the end of the coin slide, said actuator being attached to said bracket.
 4. The improvement as recited in claim 3, further comprising interengaging means on said bracket and actuator to prevent rotation of said actuator relative to said bracket.
 5. An improved coin slide extension assembly for a coin operated apparatus comprising: a. a housing having an upper wall and a side wall; b. a coin slide reciprocably mounted on said housing for projected and retracted movement therein; c. a starting mechanism supported within said housing and located below the plane of said slide upon movement thereof; d. a bracket mounted on the end of the coin slide; e. vertical actuator means connected to the bracket and extending downwardly normal to the plane of said slide, wherein the presence of a coin in the coin slide is operative to permit movement of the slide and engagement of the actuator means with the starting mechanism; and f. an extension portion on said actuator extending upwardly above said slide and normal to the said plane thereof, said portion being bent to engage the corner of said housing formed by said upper and side walls; whereby the end of said extension portion rides in said corner to prevent substantial vertical movement of the actuator relative to the starting mechanism and substantial transverse horizontal movement of the actuator in the direction of said side wall upon movement of the coin slide.
 6. The improved coin slide extension assembly as recited in claim 5, wherein said bracket is L-shaped having a vertical leg portion, said actuator being attached to the vertical leg of said bracket.
 7. The improved coin slide extension assembly as recited in claim 6, further comprising interengaging means on the vertical leg portion of said bracket and said actuator to prevent rotation of said actuator relative to said bracket.
 8. The improved coin slide extension assembly as recited in claim 7, further comprising resilient means attached to the ends of said actuator.
 9. The improved coin slide extension assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein said resilient means is formed of nylon. 